Patent · US Expired

Oxide etching process using nitrogen plasma

US5990018A · kind A · utility

2Cited by
2References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 11, 1996
Grant dateNov 23, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 11, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/31116
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention is a method for improviding an oxide etching process by using a nitrogen-based plasma. An additional nitrogen-based plasma step is used to inhibit or delay the formation of observed residual bubbles during a dry etching process. The method comprises the steps of etching the oxide layer by reactive ion etching and immersing the oxide layer in a nitrogen plasma.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.